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Halo Side Story: Angel Squad by Jordan Dotson
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Halo Side Story: Angel Squad Part 1: Reunion Chapter1
Date: 21 August 2002, 7:40 am
Back in the saddle, again
"Dammit, Jenkins, actually hit something with yer fire!" The Drill Instructor barked
"Yes Sir!" Jenkins responded, firing a shot with his sniper rifle, which struck a grunt shaped target dead center in its kill zone.
"Nice job, Marine!" the DI yelled over the staccato fire at the target range.
He turned to notice one of his assistant instructors jogging across the firing range looking very worried. The assistant walked up and motioned for the DI to lean in. The DI listened and nodded looking more surprised with each word. Finally he backed away and motioned to the assistant to work with his men. He then turned and jogged away from the firing range towards the command office. He returned the guard's salute and continued to his office, which doubled as his quarters. Where a familiar figure greeted him from his desk.
"Lieutenant Dotson, it's been a long time." The figure said.
"Curtis? Holy shit! What are you doing here?" Dotson exclaimed.
"Colonel Curtis to you, Jordan" Curtis responded.
" My god, if I knew you were coming I wouldn't've had the recruits doing their rifle drills today!"
"Well, I planned it so you wouldn't know" Curtis returned with a mischievous smile.
"Whatever, Sir," Dotson responded taking a seat across from Curtis, "so what brings you out to my neck of the woods."
"Recruitment" Curtis said, flatly.
"Drumming up some more members for Angel Squad?" Dotson said with a sardonic laugh.
"The Angels were disbanded after you left, Dotson. They didn't have the will to fight any more." Curtis stated flatly.
"I knew they took it hard." Dotson said averting his eyes to the floor
" Jordan, you've got to stop blaming yourself for Capelli." Curtis said sternly.
"God Dammit, who else is there to blame?" Dotson exclaimed angrily, " I led that assault! I got 163 Marines killed! Who else could there be to blame?"
"Ackerson" Curtis responded, " Colonel Ackerson"
"What?"
"He set you up" Curtis said, look of anger in his eyes, " he had known the Covenant outnumbered you five to one. He knew they had tanks and air support. He knew about the reinforcements being dropped in. He simply didn't tell you."
"Why?" Dotson responded incredulously.
"Same reason he set up the SPARTANS, you were stealing his funding"
"What the fuck?" Dotson said a look of utter confusion turning into anger, "Where is he?"
"Dead." Curtis flatly stated, " His warthog was hit by Covenant artillery fire. He died of plasma burns the next week."
"Serves him right."
"The real reason I'm here, Dotson, is to reform the Angels. And..."
"I know, I know," Dotson said, irritated, " you want me to lead them, again."
"Will you?" Curtis asked, staring into Dotson's eyes
"No." Dotson said, staring back, "One catastrophic failure is enough to permanently ruin my career."
"So, no."
"No way in hell" said Dotson as he stood up to leave.
"I'm sure the Angels will be disappointed." Said Curtis, still seated
"What did you say?" said Dotson, Halfway out the door.
"I took the liberty of approaching the other Angels first." Curtis said. "I thought it would make you more reasonable if you knew the squad would be waiting for you."
"Okay," said Dotson returning to his seat, "I'll do it"
"Good," Curtis said, with a smile. " Pack your bags, the Angels are waiting."
"They're Here?" said Dotson perplexed, pointing at the ground. "In the Mandolin Spec War School?"
"In the Parking lot." Curtis said, over his shoulder as he left Dotson's office, "They wanted to come talk to you, but I thought I would be less of a shock I'll be waiting outside, First Lieutenant Dotson."
Dotson slumped back in his chair as Curtis left the room. The Angels were here? They wanted to talk to him? They wanted him to lead them after Capelli? He was promoted back to First Lieutenant? Dotson shook his head and smiled, Curtis really had faith in him if he wanted Dotson to lead the Angels. That or humanity was in serious trouble. Which was pretty much the truth, The Covenant were winning the war and Reach had fallen, one of the UNSC's most well defended strongholds.
Dotson rose from his chair and stretched, he would need to hurry. He had waited two years for the opportunity to get back into the fight; he didn't want to wait any longer. He walked over to a mirror behind his desk and looked at him self. He was a fairly handsome person according to several people he had known. His chestnut brown eyes that had a look of perpetual thought and warmth, which was odd for a DI. He had bushy eyebrows that seemed to always rest in a position people would normally associate with amusement or interest. His brownish black hair fairly short, about 5 centimeters at it longest place, and was usually parted down the center. His mouth always seemed to be in a flat line that never betrayed his emotions but only when he was just bored. Most of the time he had some sort of expression on his face. He had a chin that slightly protruded from his jaw with a hardly noticeable cleft in it. He was always ready to flash his characteristic devilish grin and crack some sort of wry, or as some put it, corny, joke. Normally he was quite a witty guy but Capelli had done a lot of emotional damage to him, so the infamous wit and witticism he possessed was shown less than before Capelli. He stood a little shorter than six feet tall and possessed a lean muscular physique, acquired from years of martial arts and his career in the military. Most people always assumed him to be just another military drone, following orders blindly, but he was one of the best with small unit tactics in the UNSC. Which occasionally led to conflicts with his superiors over battlefield tactics.
Dotson Began packing the duffel bag he always kept in his quarters. He placed his sidearm, an M6D pistol inside one the bags side pouches along with a couple spare ammunition clips. In another pouch he placed his reading material, two Books, Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy: Complete Edition and Oswald's Firearms Encyclopedia: 2552 Edition, along with a data pad. He began packing his Civilian clothes, or civvies, and started to pack his dress uniform when he remembered that Curtis probably got some new uniforms for him. He grabbed his medal case and removed the pictures from his wall and headed for the door.
Dotson took a direct route to the parking lot, trying to avoid his the areas the trainees were. He had abandoned the Angels once and he didn't want to leave his trainees, but it had to be done. Curtis was giving him a chance to make up for his mistakes and he couldn't squander that chance. Just before he reached the parking lot, he ran into Curtis.
"I think you'd make a better impression if you had your original uniform," Curtis said handing him a package
Dotson nodded his thanks to Curtis as he ducked into a nearby restroom and hurriedly changed into his uniform. He strolled from the stall where he had changed into his uniform over to a mirror and placed the Angels beret, onto his head. It was one of the only things that distinguished the Angels from the other Marine Spec Ops units. Dotson adjusted the Beret on his head, making sure the squads logo, an angel in full flight holding an MA5B assault rifle, was in clear view and stepped out of the restroom, where Curtis Greeted him.
"You look good in your uniform, Lieutenant." He said with a smile.
"Always did." Dotson responded
He watched Curtis leave the room, after Curtis left; Dotson leaned against the wall and took a couple deep breaths. He reviewed the speech he mentally prepared and tried desperately to relax. He gave up trying to relax and stood up straight and strode out the door.
The sight of his squad after nearly two years made him stop in his tracks, they were all there. Dotson smiled and Strode towards his squad . He stopped about five paces away from his squad and cleared his throat.
"Angels," he said, " I know that we've been through a lot together and I know that we've fought, bled, cried, and died for the UNSC and each other. But I've failed you, and I've come back to make up for that failure and I hope you forgive me."
He stopped and looked at the Angels, none of them looked at him with any hatred or ambigouity. They all stared at him in respect, respect for their former commander.
His second in command stepped out of the line and saluted, "It's an honor to have you back, sir."
Dotson returned the salute and nodded. He straightened and barked "Angels!"
"Sir, Yes sir!" His squad responded sounding as one.
"Mount up!" He responded.
His squad saluted, turned on their heels and piled into the truck. Dotson smiled as followed his squad into the truck. He was proud of them, he always had been. But most of all, They were whole again.
To Be Continued
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